Tried it for the first time this past Sunday. Not impressed. My boys hated there kids combos. The bread was a bit hard to bite into. My wife makes a better one at home, plus I would bring my own bag of Lay's potato chips. Overpriced, not that great tasting, and I was expecting a bigger variety if sandwiches and sides. Sorry Melt, I will not be coming back. read more

This place was a first and last, the service is great, but the only thing worth the cost are the beverages. We had lunch, classic cheese melt and cheeseburger, not very impressed with the quality of food. It could of been this specific location, but it was definitely a disappointment! read more

I came by on opening day and didn't wait too long. The grilled cheese sandwiches were tasty, I mean you can't really mess it up. I got the one with the mac n cheese inside the sandwich and my husband got the one with short rib. They could have added more meat in his sandwich. I did like the side salad, very refreshing to compliment the cheesy sandwiches. I also got the tomato soup, pretty good and tomato-y. Overall an OK experience. Nothing mind blowing, so I'd say come to grab a snack/lunch. This isn't a hearty meal. read more

Since there are so many around I thought I was about to eat the best grilled cheese ever. Sadly I was highly disappointed. The grilled cheese at 5 guys is way better. I ordered the Italian job with bacon, it was not spicy, it needed more cheese, and the crust was way too hard. Never again. read more

Hit or miss. I was really expecting to be blown away but I can make a better grilled cheese. Its a nice idea. But over priced and mediocre quality. The bread is the problem. It appears better than it tastes. Its too crunchy and scrapes the roof of your mouth. And then my jaws hurt from chewing it so hard. The concept of this place needs some work. A grilled cheese, fries and a drink for 1 person was $15.00 approx. Thats a rip off. read more

I am giving this place 2 stars for the food. The customer service is seriously lacking. My boyfriend ordered a burger combo and upgraded the fries. I also asked for a water cup. It wasn't until five minutes into waiting for our food we realized the girl hadn't given my boyfriend his drink. A problem she corrected right away, so that was cool. However, when our food came out, the fries were missing both the bacon and crispy onions that were supposed to be there. They said they ran out of bacon, and substituted jalapeños, and left out the crispy onions entirely. I just don't understand why we had to pay four dollars for fries that were missing half the ingredients. Disappointing. read more

Went for the grand opening today. Got a free Mission sandwich, a side salad and a drink. I thought the Mission was pretty good, though I've honestly never gotten the appeal of grilled cheese sandwiches. Still, it was tasty, especially if you like a little kick (has pepper jack cheese and jalapeño). I actually really enjoyed the side salad, which had spring lettuce, goat cheese, apples and sunflower seeds. I also liked their soda, which was Boylan soda (reg, diet and root beer). They also had ice tea. All in all, I liked it :) read more

Have been to the melt a couple times for lunch and for all the potential of a grilled cheese spot, it just doesn't live up. Their tomato soup is lacking, and tastes just about as good as campbells condensed in a can... they could definitely use some richness to the soup. The "melts" are just ok. My biggest gripe is that they aren't cheesy enough, and my second issue is that they aren't creative at all. I do like how you can see where your food is on the assembly line, and I think the value is pretty good for the amount of food you get. After all that I am sure I will be back for yet another rainy day lunch, after we have forgotten how unsatisfying it was in the first place. read more

Grilled cheese happiness! This location doesn't "officially" open until this Saturday, but they open a couple hours each day to train the new employees. If I didn't know otherwise, I would say that the food was perfect for everyday sales! Perfectly grilled golden brown bread, exuberant cashiers, clean atmosphere. A lovely place to pop in for lunch (and it's cheap, too! Less than $5 for the Melts!) read more

Came here for lunch on a Saturday afternoon. The menu looked amazing and because we were STARVING, my boyfriend and I decided to bypass the line and elected to use the self-serve ordering kiosk instead. As we hungrily made decisions regarding what to eat, much to our dismay, we quickly realized that the card swiper on the kiosk did not work. We tried a total of 4 different cards several times and none of them worked. By now, the line to order food at the counter had grown exponentially longer. My boyfriend reported this to the girl behind the counter named Isis, who proceeded to nonchalantly and casually apologize, but made no offer to allow us to bypass the now-even-longer line that had formed, despite the fact that by this point, we had been waiting longer than any of the people standing in line. At this point, we decided to leave and walk across the way to TLT, where we enjoyed a short rib grilled cheese sandwich there. Sorry, but customer service means a lot to me and it is difficult to support an establishment that doesn't make the customer experience a priority! read more

The first thing I look for in a restaurant is their portions and after eating here, I was very disappointed. My daughter said that she wanted mac and cheese and I was looking at their menu to see what I could get. However, when I saw other people's order, (burger and fries for $10)I decided to go somewhere else. After I got my daughter's order, I was curious to see how much they gave. After seeing the portion, my wife and I looked at each other and laughed. It was a complete waste of money. If rather pay a couple more dollars and get a full portion at Red Robins. Do not eat at this place if you're planning on getting full. I will never be going back. read more

We came here for an early dinner. We decided to give this a try as we had seen one of their stores when we were in Stanford several years ago. I tried the shorty sandwich which is a grilled cheese with braised short ribs and the wife got the mission sandwich which is a grilled cheese with pepper jack cheese and jalapeños. Both sandwiches were good. A little bit on the small side but probably explains the low costs. We also tried the tomato basil soup, sweet corn tortilla, soft serve ice cream covered in Oreo cookie crumbs and espresso bean milk shake. The tomato soup went well with the sandwiches. The corn tortilla tasted good but didn't go with the sandwiches. The ice cream and milk shake was also good. Compared to the grilled cheese truck I'd say the truck was better but this is a nice alternative. read more

I work nearby so I tried out this place while shopping around. I got a classic with turkey in it. The cashier was friendly and all, but i didn't like what she made me do. She asked "do you want chips? Or a pickle?" Like it was part of the melt. So i got chips. The chips looked like it came out of a share-size lays bag for $2. If your going to charge $2 for a handful of chips, at least make them fresh! I won't ever go back. Not worth $8. read more

I would give The Melt 4 stars for taste, but the quality of the servings force me to rate it 3 stars. My friend and I both ordered a steak grilled cheese sandwich. It was pretty tasty on a big thick bread but the quantity of meat inside was lacking. A normal guy would need to eat 2 or 3 of them to get full. The shakes are delicious but expensive at $5. read more

WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU DON'T HAVE DIET COKE?! Ok, judginess aside - I got the Italian Job with tomato and jalapeno. Garlic bread is yummy, cheese is good BUT it's pricey, loud and kinda plain. Surprisingly even with 2 stars as their average, the line was OUT the door and wrapped almost to Panda express. If they had the option of diet coke, I might go back. read more

The Shorty was a disappointment. Too little meat and too salty. Also got the shroom which was OK. Also got the egg in a hole and that too was on the salty side. This place is overpriced and is nothing special. There are much better choices for the price. read more

I just went on my lunch break and got The Italtian w/ tomato and grilled onions and a side salad. I almost didn't go because of all the negative reviews, but I'm so glad I went anyway! I honestly don't know what the people that wrote such negative reviews are talking about. The bread was buttery garlic and herbed perfection. The cheese melty and delicious and the tomato and onion gave it alittle something extra. I'm eating the green salad as I type this and it's amazing too. Even the croutons look and taste like little grilled cheese sandwichs LOL! I'll definitley be back soon (tomorrow) ;) read more

I started going to the melt because it was super close to where I worked and I began loving it, not only the food is great, but customer service is also fantastic! Shout out to CHRIS for being his amazing self and making my experience at the melt even better!!!! read more

The Melt is a good concept - who doesn't love grilled cheese sandwiches? But it's nothing special. My sandwich was okay but I can make it at home. My salad was good, but that's kind of hard to mess up. The tomato soup and the corn chowder that my in-laws got were horrible. And the lemonade tasted like water with lemon slices. If you're craving grilled cheese and don't want to make it yourself, then this place is okay. read more

I tried this place once while on my break from work and I was in love. I ordered the Mac Daddy; definitely going to try more dishes next time! What I liked about the shop was how organized they are about your order. There is a large screen that displays your initials/name and lets you know if they are working on it and when it is ready for pick up. I love that idea because it is so much better than having the cashier yell your name and/or order out loud for all to hear. Keep it up! read more

New restaurant at the Irvine spectrum. I ordered the Bird, basically a healthy chicken sandwich. It was good but small, leaving me hungry after. I was tempted to go get a bowl at Chipotle, but thought better of it. It is a bit pricey for what you get. To many other choice at the spectrum, will go somewhere else next time. read more

More like the MEH-lt. Overpriced, lacking in flavor, and I would say the tomato soup tasted like it came from a can, but that would be an insult to canned soup. read more

I really enjoyed this place, but it wasn't all that special. It was pretty run of the mill.... but, i loved the atmosphere and the people working there. I would be happy to go back again... 3.5 stars but I'm rounding up because of the friendliness. read more

Man this place is so overpriced and overhyped. I make better grilled cheese sandwiches at home. Got the Italian Job and it was seriously lacking in flavor/ingredients. I guess the corn tortilla soup was pretty good though. read more

This place is so good! I got the Macdaddy that had bacon and macaroni and cheese in it. It doesn't get much better than that! The tomato basil soup is such a good side to the grilled cheese. If you get a chance to try I out its worth it!!! Next time I'm going to try a hamburger. Yummy! read more

They get one star for vood food but lose for stars for rudeness. Was told when i put my order in at 9pm that they close the inside of store at 9pm and i would have to eat my dinner outside in the 80 degree heat. Not good business but good food. Dont come to eat here unless you leave enough time to eat. read more

The Melt - Ordering just before 9pm...lots of folks wanting to order - Sandwiches Near Me - Irvine, California

See all

Wow, people really hate this place. And with good reason. I'd been to the one in Hollywood and really liked it, so I was excited when I spotted this one in Irvine. But then I went in, and found that the menu was much smaller, and they had neither the sandwich nor the soup that I liked. So I just got a "classic" and a side Caesar. The bread was seasoned, which the menu didn't mention, and which completely overpowered the sandwich. Worse, it was chewy. And there was very little cheese. I can get a better grilled cheese at Norm's. The salad was pretty blah, as well. read more

The food was disappointing, it looks much better than it tastes. Mac n cheese was pretty gross. The service was fine. I don't recommend eating here, you can do better. read more

This place sounded like it was going to be sooooo good. Definitely disappointed. The food was ok but definitely overpriced. I wouldn't mind the amount if the food would have been good. I got the spicy burger and it wasn't really spicy. They literally just put some diced jalapeños on there and "spicy" ketchup. Didn't taste hot to me. The fries were soooooo gross. They were extremely over cooked. It seemed like the cook passed them through the fryer multiple times. Will never come back. read more

Need confort food: try their grill cheese, plain or mixed mac n cheese, short rib etc

The value to price ratio is not efficient. I ordered the egg in a sandwich with the hole and it was ehhh. The lemonade was good, it would be splendid if they had refills but they do not (insert a small sad face here because I have small face). If the bring down the costs of the sandwich they maybe onto something. I do not understand why they charge so much. A loaf of bread is like what $1 and a block of cheese is like $6.98 and that goes a long way. Im just saying it should go for about $3 but what do I know. I mean hey its good to bring someone out of town here but I probably will not be back. Their marketing and typography looks good though. read more

I would say the 3 stars most people gave this place are accurate. I was leery to try it after reading most of the reviews but my friend really wanted to try it so I dove in. The staff here is super friendly which is always appreciated. Everything is a la carte (unless you get the Classic Burger, Naked Fries and a drink, you can make it a combo). I ordered the Truffle Melt, Naked Fries, and a soda (against my better judgement) and it came out to around $13. Disappointment immediately greeted me after ordering. They were out of ice (and it was a super hot day out) so I had a soda sans ice. It at least came out of the machine cold. Another couple of reviewers said the cola wasn't very good and they were right. I've had cane sugar cola other places but this just tasted a little off even from that. We got our order pretty quickly (there's literally no room inside to stand and wait when it's busy btw). The Truffle Melt was good but the spinach on it you could tell wasn't fresh but was rather a large batch of little tiny spinach pieces that had been thawed out for use on the sandwiches. The bread was warm and crispy and the cheese was good. The Naked Fries are also good (though Naked is a big deceiving since they do have a yummy seasoning on them). So all in all, it wouldn't be my first choice of a place to eat at the Spectrum (there are so many choices, it's hard to settle for 3 stars) but it's not the worst thing I've ever had either. read more

So grilled cheese is yummy, amirite? There are quite a few varieties here to choose from. I'm a purist, so I get standard (for me) sourdough, cheese, tomato. Well enough, but I make better or as good at home. One star off for sorta high prices for a simple concept and a simple meal. read more

Tried this place for the first time and loved it! Got the naked fries, trio Mac n cheese and a root beer float. We will be baaaaack!

Came at off peak time around 1:30 on a weekday. A few tables needed to be cleaned but there was no line to order. Food was ready pretty quick and tasted good, maybe slightly above average, but was nothing special. I would say they are overpriced for what you get - $9.95 for a burger, fries and soda combo. I wouldn't have eaten here if not for a $5 gift card I had. I would day their prices are 25% too high. read more

My first time eating at The Melt and overall food was pretty good! I really dig the salad; was bomb with Tabasco sauce... VERY GOOD! And their all-natural cane sugar soda (black cherry) is tasty. I highly recommend this flavor. Natural cane sugar soda is the way to go if you're a soda lover. It was very busy so the order was delayed by quite a bit but that was understandable! read more

The Melt - The burger combo with sweet fries for an extra $1 to replace the naked fries: about $10 total - Sandwiches Near Me - Irvine, California

See all

I recently ate at the Melt again because I had come to the Spectrum to do some Christmas shopping earlier in the morning and only a few other restaurants were open at the time. Even though the restaurant had just opened, tables were still dirty, and despite there being at least four employees, the food took forever. Two of three of our grilled cheeses plus our side of fries were sitting out on the counter and just getting cold. Apparently there was some kind of backlog where several customers' orders of the grilled cheese with egg just were never made or were not communicated, which resulted in my sandwich and other customers' taking over fifteen minutes to make. There was really no explanation or follow-up, and there's no reason such simple orders should have taken so long, especially since they were not understaffed. Even people who ordered ten or more minutes after us had gotten and finished their food by the time ours came out. read more

Was excited to try this place, since it's supposed to put "cheese above all". If you're in a rush this is not the place to go, expect a 10-15 min wait if the place is even semi-busy. Got the Burger Melt Combo and the T-Mac. Menu said the patties were wagyu beef, and T-Mac had truffle in it. Unfortunately I didn't taste anything that made these items stand out. The patty was nothing spectacular, mine kinda tasted dry at times. And I couldn't taste any truffle in the Mac n' Cheese, maybe it was the mushrooms and mix of cheeses getting in the way? I've had truffle oil before and absolutely loved it; I'm no expert so I don't know if they should taste similar but that's what I was expecting, so I was disappointed. Anyway, this is not processed, gooey style mac n' cheese, Melt uses the real stuff so expect a nice clean non-"comfort food" feel. The only items I really liked were the fries and the root beer (free refills). Next time I'll try the grilled cheese and ice cream cone, might be a better experience. I will say this... the ingredients are fresh and you won't feel that nasty "-itis" here. Pros: Natural food alternative, Good Service, Great fries, Free refills (natural sodas) Cons: Wait time, Pricey (portions too small, Burger was maybe 5" across), No table clean-up read more

I'm not sure how this place is still open with only 2 and a half stars on yelp. First walked in and was ready to order but the employees here thought it was more important to have their back turns and have their own conversation going. I ordered a steak grilled cheese from here and was so upset. Bread was as crunchy as chips, cheese wasn't melted all the way, and my steak and onions were cold. Felt like they took the meat right out of the fridge and threw them in. Their soda machine was also broken and their outside seating could use some cleaning. I'm only giving this place one star because they actually made me another steak grilled cheese (warm) after i complained, oh and also because yelp doesn't let me put half a star. i'll stick to my tustin location. read more

such good food and it's made at such a fast pace, sam is especially the best his customer service is on point i would definitely come again